Shujun gave a bitter smile. "Are you worried about me?"
"Maybe I should think so, at least you still worry about me. That means I’m not too miserable, right?"
He managed a weak curl of his lips before saying feebly, "Don’t be afraid, I’m fine, I’m just tired, I want to sleep a little..." As soon as he finished his sentence, he lay back and fell over.
"Why hasn’t he returned yet?"
Liang Yuening was anxiously pacing, like an ant on a hot pan.
At noon, Third Brother suddenly appeared, then picked up someone and ran.
He wanted to chase after them, but was stopped by the eldest brother.
Afterward, he thought that it wouldn’t take long for Baobao to return with Third Brother, but the afternoon passed, twilight set in, and still there was no sign of the two of them.
As time progressed, his heart grew more and more anxious.
Liang Zhichen was holding a writing brush, calligraphing with wild strokes, seemingly to relieve some emotion in his heart. The heavy hand and chaotic brushwork betrayed the calm façade he projected; his wild calligraphy revealed the unrest within him.
Shen Qiuyang suddenly cried out. Liang Yuening rushed out the door in haste, and Liang Zhichen paused, then slowly set down the brush, placed it on the holder, took a deep breath, composed himself, then slowly made his way outside.
Liang Yuening burst out of the door to find Dong Huiying running back, drenched in sweat, carrying Shujun on his back. He was taken aback: "Third Brother, what happened to you?"
Dong Huiying rattled off rapidly: "His body is too depleted, he fainted!"
By then, Zhi Chen had also emerged from the house, and his eyes narrowed at the sight of the blood on Shujun’s lips.
He dashed forward, taking Shujun from Dong Huiying’s back. Shujun had become much thinner, which made his heart as an elder brother ache in waves.
Dong Huiying said, "You take him inside first, I’ll go prepare the medicine!"
After Dong Huiying administered the medicine to Shujun, it was more than an hour before Shujun slowly woke up.
He had been maintaining his strength with great difficulty ever since she left home and had been on tenterhooks. Even though she left a letter saying she would return after a year, he couldn’t wait. He feared she would not keep her promise, that he might never see her again, so he remained continuously apprehensive.
Until the moment he actually saw her, he couldn’t hold on any longer, as if the breath he had been holding was finally released.
And then he fainted just like that.
Perhaps deep down he understood one thing very clearly.
Even if she had not fallen in love with him yet, her character would never allow her to abandon him while he was unconscious. So he felt assured.
His hand weakly lifted, their fingers interlocking.
"Don’t leave again..."
Dong Huiying was stunned: "I don’t know what happened here..." The situation suddenly became complicated.
He sighed softly, "I don’t like it when you are , don’t feel troubled, don’t look so woeful. I, I don’t want to see you unhappy, you know?"
His gaze fell forlornly, "I know your heart has not yet settled on me. Originally, Yixuan was the most likely person, but I don’t know what exactly happened between you two... Nevertheless, I can guess, it’s probably because his inner turmoil is too deep."
He slowly sat up; she quickly lent a hand, and to make him more comfortable, she tucked a pillow behind his waist.
Shujun looked at her intently, his eyes no longer as frivolous as before, but clear and lucid.